Apparatus for determining the moisture content of vegetable products



Nov. 28, 1950 s. T. DEXTER 2,531,673

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTS Filed Jan. 2, 1948 I I6:.:\ '7 l4 l2 3 F I G. l.

l9 fff'ffffffffff if: /2 O INVENTOR. STephen T. DexTer.

AT TORNE Y Patented Nov. 28, 1950 APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING .THE

MOISTURE CONTENT, OF VEGETABLE PRODUCTS Stephen T. Beaten-East Lansing, Mich, assignor to The State Board of Agriculture, East Lansing,

Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application January 2, 1948, Serial No. 164

2 Glaims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for determining the amount of moisture in certain vegetable materials, such as hay.

After hay has been cut it is necessary for it to be dried sufliciently so that when placed in storage it will not become moldy and unfit for use as fodder. It is desirable that a simple device by Which a hay grower may determine when the hay is ready to be stored be available to him, so that he need not rely solely on his experience. Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide such a device which is simple and is economical to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a device which is attachable to a convenient source of heat, which nearly all farmers have available.

These objects will more fully appear in the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a, cross-sectional view of a portion of a device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view thereof looking at the right hand end as viewed in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the other part of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is an end view thereof.

The present invention comprises an outer shell l and an inner container 9 which are adapted to be filled with a quantity of hay or other material, the moisture content of which is intended to be determined, and attached to the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, such as that of an automobile or tractor. The outer shell It] comprises a cylindrical portion ll open at the right hand end, as viewed in Figure l. The cylindrical portion II is attached to another cylindrical portion I? by a conical intermediate part I3. These parts may be made integral with each other or assembled from separate pieces, as desired.

The cylindrical portion i2 is designed to telescope over the free end of an exhaust pipe it of a tractor or automobile engine. The portion I2 is furnished with a bayonet slot l which engages a pin it on the exhaust pipe to securely attach the shell l0 to the exhaust pipe.

A perforated baiile plate H is inserted into the cylindrical portion H and located in juxtaposition to the larger end of the conical portion l3 of the shell. The bafiie I1 is of substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical portion I l, but is arranged to slip into the shell relatively easily. It is held in place in any suitable manner, such as by prick punching the side '2 wall of the cylindrical portion l l at a plurality of angularly spaced points l8 after the balile has been inserted.

The inner container 9 is formed from a sheet of relatively thin flexible metal rolled into substantially cylindrical form and open at both ends. Preferably the opposite edges l9 and 20 of the sheet when rolled into. cylindrical form overlap each other as shown in Figure 4, but those edges are not secured together. The dimensions of the container 9 are such that when the edges [9 and 2B are overlapped slightly the inner container can be slid into the cylindrical portion ll of the outer shell HJ. Preferably the diameter of the inner container 9 should be such that it requires a slight contraction of the container in order for it to slip into the outer shell Ill. After the container is placed within the shell the container tends to expand slightly and the container is thereby frictionally held within the shell.

In using the device of the present invention to determine the moisture contained in a sample of hay or other vegetable products, the weight of the container 9 is first determined by weighing on a suitable scale. The container 9 is loosely stulTed with the hay and the container and sample of hay are then weighed. The container 9 is inserted into the shell l0, as previously described, and the entire assembly is attached to an engine exhaust pipe. The engine is operated for a period of two or three minutes at a relatively high rate of speed. The container is then removed and again weighed. Ordinarily the sample will be found to have lost some weight. The container and hay sample are again placed in the shell ll] and the engine run some more. Again the container is withdrawn and weighed. If there is no change in weight from the previous reading, or if there is a slight but negligible decrease, the hay will be considered to be virtually dry. By a simple calculation or by using suitable tables the original moisture content of the hay may then be readily determined. The moisture content appropriate for storage varies with both materials and methods of storage. Thus long hay, stored loose, might safely be stored at a moisture content of 23%, while if stored in the bale, the lower moisture content of 19% would be advisable. If stored as hay silage, however, a moisture content much higher than those percentages would be acceptable.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a very simple means for determining the moisture content of various vegetable materials, and while not necessarily as accurate as laboratory methods, it is sufilciently accurate for a farmer's use. It provides a much more accurate means of determining moisture content than experience alone.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drier for vegetable products comprising eoaxial inner and outer tubes, both of said tubes being open at both ends, means on one end of said outer tube for attaching the latter to an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, and a perforated baflle extending transversely of said outer tube intermediate the ends thereof and fixedly held therein.

2. A drier for vegetable products comprising coaxial inner and outer tubes, said inner tube being composed of sheet material coiled into generally cylindrical form with adjacent edges overlapping and movable relative to each other, 20

4 the diameter of said inner tube normally being slightly larger than that of the outer tube when removed from the outer tube, and means for securing said outer tube to the exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine.

STEPHEN T. DEXTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,189,383 Potter July 4, 1916 1,658,775 Campbell Feb. 7, 1928 2,077,563 Henry Apr. 20, 1937 2,080,168 Dietert May 11, 1937 2,348,622 Heilman May 9, 1944 2,401,412 Cogovan June 4, 1946 

